


In the Standstill of a Moment

by IcedAcidPopsicle



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Drabble, F/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-15
Updated: 2018-06-15
Packaged: 2019-05-23 19:36:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14940554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IcedAcidPopsicle/pseuds/IcedAcidPopsicle
Summary: “Promise me you’ll try your best to stay away from the fight,” he says quietly, his hand enveloping hers to keep it on his cheek. Shuri swallows, her jaw tightening. He knows that she wants to tell him that she can take care of herself; that she’s strong enough to fight. The resounding battlecries of the troops outside carry into the silence of the chamber and Shuri sighs, shoulders visibly drooping, at just how much is on the line.“Okay,” she says, eyes unwaveringly fixed on his and her thumb swiping over his cheek. “I promise I won’t be voluntarily kicking any alien ass.”





	In the Standstill of a Moment

**Author's Note:**

> this is kinda like a sequel to my other fic "Quiet Hopes & Quiet Places" and there are some parts here that refer to events that happen in that story. Feel free to check that out first in case things get confusing(ish) in this one :) 
> 
> Enjoy! ❤

Grey clouds gather in the far horizon, and a somber dullness of an incoming storm washes over the vibrance of Wakanda. It is unusually, unnervingly quiet, for civilians have been advised to evacuate the capital to take shelter in neighboring cities and tribes far away from Wakanda's borders. Everything is still outside the Great Mound save for the thunderous rumble of the thousands upon thousands of the King’s army – and thousands more from the other tribes that make up Wakanda – as they prepare for battle. The summer air is tainted with heady tension and the uneasy anticipation riles up even the super soldier in Bucky as he watches the Dora pull up in formation beside the T’Challa’s military force, with M’Baku’s Jabari warriors close behind.

 

He moves away from the window ledge to sit on the table at the center of the chamber. Like the civilians of Wakanda, the staff and assistants of the Great Mound have been counseled to evacuate. The lab is ever only this quiet when he accompanies Shuri as she works late into some night. Today though, he has not seen the princess herself – _not since he’s kissed her into oblivion just hours ago_ – likely because she’s putting her finishing touches on Steve’s new shield as well as preparing the equipment needed for the Mind Stone’s extraction. He had been escorted and instructed to stay in the chamber Shuri planned on fixing Vision in, while she went through her own preparations. Bucky frowns, vibranium fingers clenching and unclenching, as his mind meanders back to thoughts of Steve.

 

Steve is to arrive today. And with him, war.

 

“You nervous?”

 

Bucky can’t help the smile that creeps into his face as the door opens and Shuri finally drifts into his view, kimoyo bead already scanning the vibranium arm she’s given him. She gazes up at him with her dark eyes over the screen projecting from her bead for a second, and the hint of a smirk graces her lips as she shifts her focus back onto the data of his arm. His heart stammers as he watches the teasing gleam in her eyes and feels heat sink into his chest at the thought of her in his arms just the night before.

 

“Nah, the world’s just ending,” he shrugs with his good shoulder, as she hovers closer, screwdriver in hand. She scoffs out a dry laugh as she adjusts a gold plate, but he catches the way her breath hitches at their closeness. He’s always loved watching her work and they have been close like this before, especially when she was reprogramming him. But the events of the night before replay in his memories – _and hers possibly_ – that any kind of closeness is now interlaced with new meaning.

 

And when her eyes wander to his unconsciously, and a blush rises onto her cheeks at being caught, the urge to kiss her is almost unbearable. He laughs instead, even as she playfully pushes his face away for being a distraction. But the skin of her cheeks and ears darken, and she is pointedly focused now on his arm that he takes silent pride at still being able to fluster her.

 

Outside, the clouds darken just a shade, letting his thoughts stray back to the incoming storm and the smile on his face all but falls away. Shuri must have sensed the sudden tension that overtakes him because she looks up from her work to caress his face, urging him to face her. He smiles sadly at her worried expression.

 

“Promise me you’ll try your best to stay away from the fight,” he says quietly, his hand enveloping hers to keep it on his cheek. Shuri swallows, her jaw tightening. He knows that she wants to tell him that she can take care of herself; that she’s strong enough to fight. He doesn’t doubt that – _not even for a second –_ but he would rather have her be as safe as possible. He hopes that she understands what he means. The resounding battlecries of the troops outside carry into the silence of the chamber and Shuri sighs, shoulders visibly drooping, at just how much is on the line.

 

“Okay,” she says, eyes unwaveringly fixed on his and her thumb swiping over his cheek. “I promise I won’t be _voluntarily_ kicking any alien ass.” She rolls her eyes and his anxious concern breaks into an exasperated grin.

 

“But I can’t promise I won’t if I am provoked, so help me Bast,” she continues with a confident smirk and a hand on her hip. He chuckles freely at that because he is so proud of her and so in love with this fiercely headstrong woman, who can still emanate light in the face of danger.

 

Until the smile on her face falls and she pulls her hand away to finish up on his arm. He doesn’t have to ask what she means by her sudden silence.

 

“I promise too,” he says, daring to kiss her forehead. She looks up from her work and smiles softly at him, relief in her eyes. “I still have a promise to keep to you.”

 

“Yes, you do,” she mutters, sliding the gold plating back on his vibranium arm, once more visibly flustered and avoiding his eyes. When she finally looks at him, her eyes are narrowed with snark and the grin of her lips is sharp and playful. “I’ll be waiting.”

 

Turning back to his arm, she gives it a quick double check, especially at the part she had adjusted, before nodding to herself with satisfaction. “Okay,” she says, running her fingers over the vibranium and gold, a soft smile on her features. “You’re done.”

 

Bucky doesn’t miss the sudden tremor in her voice and the stiffness in her shoulders. Before he says anything, Shuri is already standing and putting her tools away. He watches her back as she organizes her things for a beat of a second before getting off the table.

 

“Thank you.”

 

It takes her a while to turn back to him, and something inside him breaks away when he realizes how quickly she hid her shaking hands behind her. And away from his view.

 

“Shuri–”

 

“I believe Captain Rogers will be here soon,” she says the moment he starts to move towards her, eyes averting and finding the floor. “You should… be there to when he gets here.”

 

Bucky swallows, rooted to his spot, unsure and unable to leave her, even at her command. He doesn’t want to leave her like this. He doesn’t want to leave her at all. But she turns her back to him once more, checking and re-checking tools and he sees just how much she needs to pre-occupy her mind with _something else_ – _anything else_ – other than the mission ahead. He exhales a difficult breath and balls his hands into fists.

 

“Alright,” he says, turning towards the door. He hears another rumble of coordinated footsteps out in the grasslands and he is sure neighboring tribes had contributed more military to Wakanda’s cause. “I’ll see you later, Shuri.”

 

She nods and when she doesn’t say anything else, he steels his jaw at her visibly shaking hands and moves to the door. The quicker they win this, the quicker he can fulfill his promise to her.

 

“James,” she says, over the hum of battle preparations beyond the walls and glass of her lab, and it is almost a whisper but he hears her anyway. The heartbeat in his chest is not as quiet the moment he turns and is caught between the softness of the palms of her hands. Flashes of the night before and the memory – _the sensation_ – of soft lips, soft skin and dark eyes bright at midnight encompass him immediately that his breath catches in the warmth of her closeness. His own fingers curl around her wrists, drawing her trembling figure closer and immersing himself further into her touch.

 

Her eyes are wide and glistening brightly with tears she absolutely _refuses_ to shed when he looks at her, and still he loses himself in their starlight. Her lashes flutter unblinkingly as they plead for his safety and his return to her. His heart beats erratically to the rhythm of her breathing and all but jumps painfully in his ribs when the corners of her mouth curl to beam at him through her tears.

 

 _I love you_ , he feels she says when Shuri laughs, brightly and laced with so much hope that it embeds warmth into his heart and into his being. Her tears are still anchored into the corner of her eyes – _because she would rather smile in faith than break down in fear_ – but he finds himself wiping them away with his good hand. The gesture draws another fit of quiet, impossible laughter from her that he finally kisses her then, arms wrapping around her waist and picking her up off the floor. Her arms weave around his neck and, in that blissful standstill of a moment, he can taste her brilliance in the way her lips move against his. 

 

_I love you. I love you. I love you._

 

“Find me later.” He hears Shuri whisper into his jaw, after they part – _after an infinity of sunlit moments_ – and he is in her arms, close to her heart where he belongs.

 

“The moment we win, Buck,” she says, finding his gaze once more, if only to stretch this little niche in time they’ve made for themselves. He commits the beat of her heart against his, the vibranium sureness in her smile of their victory, and the love in her eyes, to memory, should he need her in the middle of the battlefield. “Come find me."

 

“Always,” he says into her twin braids, letting her down and leaning onto her forehead, before kissing her one last time on the dark skin of her cheek. She laughs prettily at his teasing smirk and he almost falls apart at her blush-dusted cheeks and her little wave of goodbye when he starts once more to leave.

 

There will be time after the mission, he tells himself as he makes his way to the hangar where T’Challa and Okoye wait. War edges its way back onto his horizon when he sees Steve, Sam and the others emerging from the Quinjet and he once more feels that twinge of fear and anticipation before the fight. But when Steve asks him how he’s been, Bucky does not suppress the thought of Shuri and his promise to her, nor does he stop the grin on his face at the thought of her, when he answers.

 

**Author's Note:**

> It is 4am and i had WP feelings so my shipper heart decided to come up with a story, based on that grin Bucky had when he meets Cap in Infinity War. I want to think he was grinning cos he had just met with Shuri before meeting Steve again lmaooooo
> 
> Anyhoo, comments and reviews are always appreciated ❤ Thank you ❤❤❤


End file.
